Stopped drinking Soda....Lost 12 LBS

[BJP56]

I didnt realize what a difference soda made, even getting off diet soda. Went from 320-308 with some moderate arobics and dieting. Right now I have seemed to have plateaued.

 

Any ideas?

[Lobouspo]

Did you ween yourself off slowly? Did you feel an initial loss of energy? I ask because I eat pretty healthy, but I'm absolutely addicted to Dr. Pepper and Coca-Cola

[Mr Scorpio]

I didnt realize what a difference soda made, even getting off diet soda. Went from 320-308 with some moderate arobics and dieting. Right now I have seemed to have plateaued.

 

Any ideas?

 

Drink a gallon of water per day.

[Emilia]

I didnt realize what a difference soda made, even getting off diet soda. Went from 320-308 with some moderate arobics and dieting. Right now I have seemed to have plateaued.

 

Any ideas?

What else is sugar/carbs loaded in your diet? You probably eat more calories than you need. One could be replacing anything fried with a fresher version. Cook from fresh as opposed to eat processed food. How many times do you eat fast food/processed food a week?

 

did you replace the soda with chocolate to make up for the sugar content?

[gaius]

Eat a protein heavy diet that works out to be around 1200 calories a day, follow Scorpios advice with the water and you'll shed weight like crazy. And most likely feel pretty full since it's protein and not lame vegtables

 

The first few days will be killer but once your body adjusts you'll feel good and not that hungry.

[Emilia]

I think diet should be gradual, not many people can function on 1200 calories, certainly not someone who is used to much more. They would be cranky and moody, not really what you aim for long term.

 

Also, vegetables are not 'lame'. Having a balanced diet is very important OP, you need ruffage to allow you to digest. A protein-heavy diet would more likely make you constipated, not something to aim for, I'm sure you agree.

 

Do try to cut calories slowly, please try to replace processed food with fresh, eat a well-balanced diet, cut out anything that gives you a sugar rush/burns really fast (sugar based products) and aim for foods that burn much slower. This include fruit and vegetables as well as potatos (not chips though), pasta, salads, lean meat.

 

If you cook your own food, it makes you appreciate it more too.

[gaius]

He'll be functioning on more than 1200 since his body will be burning the fat in his belly. Trust me, I lost nearly a hundred pounds not eating vegtables. Protein mostly with some assorted carbs. It's very easy for someone to overeat when they switch to vegtables because they taste so horrible that you have to try to doctor them up, and when you do it often comes out with heinous amounts of calories and you don't even feel full.

 

I do agree he should probably do it gradually though. Cut out one little meal or snack a day, get used to that for a few weeks, then do it again till you work it down to where you want to be. Take a big swig of water whenever you feel hungry and it's not time to eat, chew gum and most importantly keep your mind busy.

[TaraMaiden]

I didnt realize what a difference soda made, even getting off diet soda. Went from 320-308 with some moderate arobics and dieting. Right now I have seemed to have plateaued.

 

Any ideas?

 

I can't believe you'd be so surprised by this.

Sugar is one of the worst things for weight-gain, and it's demonstrably true that 'diet drinks' are just as bad for you, if not worse.

 

Drink a glass of water with two teaspoonsful of apple cider vinegar before each meal. use just a little honey to take the edge off the sharpness - NOT SUGAR!!

[gaius]

Processed food get such a bad rap cause they're cheap but I would argue when it comes to pure weight loss they're better than vegtables. You should really focus on getting the weight off period. If you try to make people who are used to eating a lot of unhealthy stuff start eating salads as well as drastically cut back the amount they're eating you're doubling their chance of failure. Focus on vegtables when they're back in the normal weight range.

[Mr Scorpio]

Eat a protein heavy diet that works out to be around 1200 calories a day, follow Scorpios advice with the water and you'll shed weight like crazy. And most likely feel pretty full since it's protein and not lame vegtables

 

Everyone should read that with

voice in their heads.

 

Processed food get such a bad rap cause they're cheap but I would argue when it comes to pure weight loss they're better than vegtables. You should really focus on getting the weight off period.

 

Sure, but you know what's better than processed food when it comes to pure weight loss? Starvation. Besides, our bodies -- hair, teeth, skin, and eyes -- like vegetables.

 

If you try to make people who are used to eating a lot of unhealthy stuff start eating salads as well as drastically cut back the amount they're eating you're doubling their chance of failure. Focus on vegtables when they're back in the normal weight range.

 

Perhaps, but I'm sure you're aware not all salads are healthy.

 

OP! Cook a half-pound of lean-ground turkey and season it with chili-powder, cumin, paprika, and some salt/pepper. Sautee some green pepper, onion, and garlic and add it to the meat. Add that to a big-bowl of spinach, then top it with diced tomato and low-fat shredded cheese. Taco salad!

 

And if that isn't enough, pour some low-fat salad-dressing into a shallow-bowl, then dip your fork into the dressing before you stab each bite of the salad. That way you get some taste, but not too many calories.

[Elias33]

• Yes to veggies and healthy fats. They will make you feel full much longer because of the fiber and such.
  
• Drink a glass of water before each meal.
  
• Moderate carb intake, and focus on complex carbs. Carbs make you feel hungry again quickly, but should not be avoided.
  
• Resistance training, muscles burn calories! That is why diet alone leads to plateaus and jojos.
  
• Proteins, you need not only for brain function, but also for muscle development and much more!
  
• No fluid should contain a calorie. (If you like milk, see it as a food, also go skim)
  
• Eating the same amount of calories in several meals a day may increase you metabolism. So 5 little meals instead of 3 big ones.
  
• Cut only 200-300 calories each day. Don't cut too much at once!
  

Hope this helps. Happy to hear about your progress. Mad respect to you!

 

PS. Veggies are your friend

[BJP56]

I did not ween myself off slowly on Soda, I had a severe withdraw reaction from it. My head hurt, I was irritable, I had no energy.

 

I have mellowed out since then. Im drinking water like crazy, and having small lunches. What I am having trouble with is knowing what to eat. It seems everything is bad for me even veggies. The so called "0" calorie things I can have seem to be packing on the LBS.

 

Yesterday I had no breakfast

Lunch I had a veggie tray and ate all the veggies. Small tray.

Dinner I had 2 bowls full of Tortilla soup without the tortilla which consisted of Chicken broth corn, beans, spices, grilled chicken, and other assorted veggies.

 

I had nothing else after that.

[Emilia]

I did not ween myself off slowly on Soda, I had a severe withdraw reaction from it. My head hurt, I was irritable, I had no energy.

 

I have mellowed out since then. Im drinking water like crazy, and having small lunches. What I am having trouble with is knowing what to eat. It seems everything is bad for me even veggies. The so called "0" calorie things I can have seem to be packing on the LBS.

 

Yesterday I had no breakfast

Lunch I had a veggie tray and ate all the veggies. Small tray.

Dinner I had 2 bowls full of Tortilla soup without the tortilla which consisted of Chicken broth corn, beans, spices, grilled chicken, and other assorted veggies.

 

I had nothing else after that.

Don't starve yourself OP. You need to reduce your calories gradually so that:

1) you don't get withdrawal cravings

2) you stick with your diet long term

 

Especially as you exercise too even if perhaps to a lesser degree

 

Lean and clean food is good for you: avoiding processed if possible, lean meat, vegetables, potatos. As little fried stuff as possible. As little sugary stuff. As little 'low fat' (it's full of sugar).

[JDPT]

Congratulations on the weight loss.

If you feel as if you plateu, you may want to analyze which other foods that don't havemuch nutritional value you can do without. I weight myself every Friday. This gives me a more "up to date" reading to analyze what I did right/wrong during the week.

[FitChick]

I think diet should be gradual, not many people can function on 1200 calories, certainly not someone who is used to much more.

I've always wondered why 1200 is the magic diet number. No way could I survive on that. I think the least traumatic way of dieting is to keep track of all your calories for a week and then eliminate 500 per day. It will guarantee a pound of weight lost even if you do nothing else.

 

Otherwise, eating so little just makes people binge.

[Mr Scorpio]

What I am having trouble with is knowing what to eat. It seems everything is bad for me even veggies. The so called "0" calorie things I can have seem to be packing on the LBS.

 

The only "zero-calorie" substance I trust is water.

 

As far as what to eat? There are a ton of websites out there with cheap and healthy recipes. My personal favorite is chili. Make a batch on Monday and you can eat some until Wednesday at least.

 

Also, for the most accurate results, try to weight yourself in the morning before you've eaten or showered, but after you've emptied yourself.

[BJP56]

You just reminded me, I ate a bunch of crap over this past weekend. That could have done it to.

 

Shame on me.

[JDPT]

You just reminded me, I ate a bunch of crap over this past weekend. That could have done it to.

 

Shame on me.

 

 

 

There you go, you always have next week to redeem yourself.

[Xemyd]

I remember when I went off pop, it was all I ever drank and one day I just stopped. After about a month I realized how much better I felt mentally, I never thought pop would have that big of an effect on me, but I'm glad I got away from it lol.

 

Although, I am still pretty addicted to iced tea.

[gaius]

Perhaps, but I'm sure you're aware not all salads are healthy.

 

OP! Cook a half-pound of lean-ground turkey and season it with chili-powder, cumin, paprika, and some salt/pepper. Sautee some green pepper, onion, and garlic and add it to the meat. Add that to a big-bowl of spinach, then top it with diced tomato and low-fat shredded cheese. Taco salad!

 

And if that isn't enough, pour some low-fat salad-dressing into a shallow-bowl, then dip your fork into the dressing before you stab each bite of the salad. That way you get some taste, but not too many calories.

Even the light salad dressings have a good amount of calories. You're wasting a ton of your daily budget just on trying to make food that isn't going to fill you up anyway taste good. The lean turkey sounds good though. If he can afford it......

 

I call less than a week before BP relapses back to potato chips from all those veggies Emilia recommended. You must already be suffering dude. Give Weight Watchers a try. They let you eat whatever you want, no focus on eliminating this type of food or that type. Which is why it's consistently ranked the #1 diet for weight loss.

[gaius]

I've always wondered why 1200 is the magic diet number. No way could I survive on that. I think the least traumatic way of dieting is to keep track of all your calories for a week and then eliminate 500 per day. It will guarantee a pound of weight lost even if you do nothing else.

 

Otherwise, eating so little just makes people binge.

You're skinny already so you need more calories than a fat person, you have little reserves.

 

And to be honest, 1200 calories isn't all that depriving. I used to skip breakfast, have a late lunch at McDonalds of 4 cheeseburgers and skip dinner. I got to binge everyday, felt full 90% of the time and still stuck to 1200 calories. Worked like a charm.

[pink_sugar]

I didnt realize what a difference soda made, even getting off diet soda. Went from 320-308 with some moderate arobics and dieting. Right now I have seemed to have plateaued.

 

Any ideas?

 

Yeah, I recently read an article that just drinking one soda each day can accumulate up to 10 extra pounds in the course of a year. Even if there doesn't seem to be too many calories in a can, all that excess sugar will turn into fat. How much soda did you drink before? When did you stop drinking it? It sounds like you also need to alter your diet in other ways to continue the weight loss, such as changing what you eat, limiting portion sizes as well as exercising more.

[pink_sugar]

.

 

OP! Cook a half-pound of lean-ground turkey and season it with chili-powder, cumin, paprika, and some salt/pepper. Sautee some green pepper, onion, and garlic and add it to the meat. Add that to a big-bowl of spinach, then top it with diced tomato and low-fat shredded cheese. Taco salad!

 

And if that isn't enough, pour some low-fat salad-dressing into a shallow-bowl, then dip your fork into the dressing before you stab each bite of the salad. That way you get some taste, but not too many calories.

 

Awesome, I will definitely be trying this recipe myself.

[Mr Scorpio]

You're wasting a ton of your daily budget just on trying to make food that isn't going to fill you up anyway taste good. The lean turkey sounds good though. If he can afford it......

 

Sir, do you question the filling properties of chili? Surely you jest. All the fiber from the beans and veggies soaking up all that water he'll be drinking? He will be full. And if he can't afford the turkey, ground-chicken is the next best deal.

 

I call less than a week before BP relapses back to potato chips from all those veggies Emilia recommended. You must already be suffering dude. Give Weight Watchers a try. They let you eat whatever you want, no focus on eliminating this type of food or that type. Which is why it's consistently ranked the #1 diet for weight loss.

 

He may suffer for several weeks while he learns what recipes he likes. But once he makes some stir-fry, or some turkey-meatball spaghetti, or a meatloaf with couscous and sweet-potato fries, or some baked-tilapia, or a omelet or frittata, or some more of that chicken-soup he spoke of, he'll be ok.

 

As for weight-watchers. Eh. Having my food delivered to me in boxes? Eh. How much does it cost per month?

 

I used to skip breakfast, have a late lunch at McDonalds of 4 cheeseburgers and skip dinner. I got to binge everyday, felt full 90% of the time and still stuck to 1200 calories. Worked like a charm.

 

[Els]

The only "zero-calorie" substance I trust is water.

 

Green tea is pretty good as far as zero-calorie drinks go.